As wireless networks evolve and grow, there are ongoing challenges with reaching targeted coverage levels. In an effort to boost coverage and enhance throughput, wireless network operators are co-deploying high power class wireless devices alongside low power class wireless devices (e.g., off-the-shelf and/or other legacy wireless devices) within coverage areas served by access nodes of wireless networks. But, when high power class wireless devices are deployed in areas of the wireless network having an access node density designed for low power class wireless devices, there are certain uplink (UL) interference concerns. Namely, UL link budget(s) for low power class wireless devices operating within the same coverage area as high power class wireless devices are often degraded due, in part, to power mismatches between the high power class wireless devices and low power class wireless devices. In addition, artificial limits assigned to allowable transmit power(s) of the co-deployed wireless devices (e.g., based on power class rather than a capability of the wireless device hardware) causes access nodes of the wireless network to handoff high power class wireless devices before necessary from a range extension perspective. Consequently, the capabilities of high power class wireless devices are not fully exploited by the wireless networks and coverage (or extension) gains are unnecessarily limited.